Episode Summary

Challenged to do so by his friends, Becker changes his routine with disastrous results. When he eats at a new Chinese restaurant, Linda gets a stalker, Margaret gets food poisoning, Bob gets punched in the nose, and Reggie and Jake lose $80 to a scam artist.

John's confronted on his habits.

John walks into the diner and complains to Bob about his hot water not working, but Bob's in no hurry to fix it. When a young man comes in and passes out coupons to another restaurant, Reggie chases the man out. When John considers trying the restaurant, Margaret tells him there's no way he'll try it because he's a creature of habit, and the only place he'll eat Chinese is at Ming's.The next day, John walks into work and tells Margaret about eating at Wong's, and it surprises both Margaret and Linda. John goes into the other room to talk to a female patient who's feeling fatigued, but John doesn't seem to be able to figure out what the problem is. When she tells John that she and her husband haven't been having sex very often, John suggests changing things up. John then walks her out and Margaret reminds John of tickets to a hockey game. John then realizes he forgot his credit card at Wong's. He and Margaret send Linda to go to Wong's to retrieve the card. John goes into the other room to see a patient, Richard Hatch from Survivor. John goes off on a tirade about television, but changes his tune when Richard mentions he won $1 million.Later that day, John walks into the diner to get lunch, and is immediately questioned by Jake about the hockey tickets, which John hasn't purchased because of the credit card problem. John and Reggie then get into a debate about Wong's vs Ming's, and John walks out shortly thereafter.Back at the office, John is asked by Margaret to confront Linda about her lack of enthusiasm around the office, so they both go to talk to her, but Margaret ends up doing all of the talking. John just sits down in the background and listens to the whole thing.Still at the office, John asks Linda about Margaret, who went home early since she felt sick. John gets overwhelmed with all of the patients at the office. Linda's stalker comes by, which spooks her, so she leaves the room to watch TV. John is then confronted by the husband of the wife John told to try new things, but it seems she tried something new, all right... she's sleeping with the neighbor's wife. Jake then comes by and is ready to go to the hockey game, but since John's overwhelmed by patients, John tells him he can't go with him.Now at the hockey stadium, Jake and Reggie are trying to use the hockey tickets of John's, but they can't, since Jake isn't John, and Jake doesn't have John's credit card. They then try to buy tickets from a scalper, but they end up being tickets to a show on ice, and not a hockey game.The show ends with a scene in the diner, with everyone blaming one another for the way things went over the past day or so. John stands up and tells them that it's everyone's fault, and that it comes back to them telling him to change things up, to not eat at Ming's.I liked tonight's episode about habits, something we all have. I find myself to be very habitual, some good, some bad. I liked the final scene in the doctor's office the most.moreless

Ticket Woman

Guest Star

Carla

Guest Star

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)

Becker has to work late, so he gives his hockey tickets to Jake and Reggie. The clerk won't let them in because they are not John Becker. Rather than paying for other tickets, why don't they just call Becker and ask him to tell the clerk he gave them the tickets?

Becker(checking his clipboard): Okay, uh, Mr. Hatch. I'm Dr. Becker. (he and Richard shake hands)Richard Hatch: Hey, Doc. Want me to take my clothes off? 'Cause that's no problem. Becker: Uh, why don't we just talk first. Richard Hatch: Okay. Becker: (checking his clipboard) All right. It says you're here for... stomach distress. Any, uh, recent changes in your diet? Richard Hatch: No, but, uh, several months ago, I was out of the country. Becker: Oh, yeah, I've seen that before. Mexico? Richard Hatch: No, I was on this island. My diet was very exotic. I pretty much existed on stingray, dog food, beetle larvae... Becker: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop. What the hell's wrong with you? Richard Hatch: Hey, some of the *other* people there ate rats. Becker: Rats? Well, why in the world would anyone do that? Richard Hatch: It was for "Survivor." Becker: "Survivor?" Richard Hatch: You know, the contest? The show? It was on television. Becker: Television? Oh, my God! You know, what is this world coming to? People are eating bugs and rats on a stupid television show? I swear to God! You know, TV has become nothing more than the... the Petri dish where this country grows its idiots! Don't they have better things to do than to debase themselves coast to coast? Richard Hatch: Well, I won. Becker: Oh, yeah, won. Yeah, please. I mean, what could you possibly have won that would make up for your loss of self-respect? Richard Hatch: A million dollars? Becker: Now, h-h-how could I get involved with something like that? Is that something that any... just anybody... (the scene fades out)

Reggie: So, how was the food at Wong's?Becker: It's Chinese food. What's the difference?Reggie: If there's no difference, Becker, why not eat at Wong's instead of Ming's?Becker: 'Cause there's no difference. Why not eat at Ming's instead of Wong's?Margaret: Because there's no difference.Becker: Which is exactly why I eat at Wong's.

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